Island



(No Model.) E 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. A. BURLEIGH. NEEDLE SWITCH MECHANISM FOR GIRGUL AR KNITTING MACHINES" No. 566,294. Patented Aug. 25, 1896.

WITNESSES: INVE NT 0/? W A TTOH/VE Y.

m EH5 co, Puma-um WASHINGTON w. c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. A. BURLEIGH. NEEDLE SWITCH MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES.

No. 566,294. Patented Aug. 25, 1896.

[I rl A TTORNE Y.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH A. BURLEIGI-I, OF LAKEPORT, NEII HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO THE PROVIDENCE KNITTING MACHINE COMPANY, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

NEEDLE SWITCH MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 566,294, dated August 25, 1896.

Application filed May 24, 1895- Serial No. 550,507. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH A. BURLEIGH, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Lakeport, in the county of Belknap, in the State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Needle Switch Mechanism for Circular- Knitting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a circular-knitting machine in which one-half, more or less, of the circular series of needles are operative during a portion of the knitting operation and inoperative during another portion thereof, as in the knitting of stockings, where all the needles in the circular series are used in the formation of a tubular fabric for the leg or body of the foot, and one-half thereof only, more or less, are employed in the pouchknitting for the formation of the heel and toe.

The invention relates specifically to the switch mechanism for moving in to and out of action the needles which are wholly idle during the pouch-knitting.

The objects of the invention are to provide a simple, convenient, and effective mechanism for this purpose, which can be readily adjusted to and removed from the needlecylinder and which is easily actuated by antomatic mechanism.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a side elevation of a knitting-head for a circular-knitting machine embodying this switch mechanism together with automatic shifting mechanism, the switch being in position for moving the needles from inoperative into operative position. Fig. 2 represents a vertical section of a cam-cylinder provided with this needle-switch mechanism, the switch being adjusted to elevate the needles into inoperative position. Fig. 3 represents a vertical section of the cam-cylinder on a diametrical line passing through the pivot of the switch. Fig. 4 represents a horizontal section of a portion of the cam-cylinder, showing the interior ledge having a notch for receiving the end of the-switch-finger. Fig. 5 represents a side elevation of one of the longstud needles. Fig. 6 represents a side elevation of one of the shortstud needles.

The same reference-numerals design ate the same parts in all the figures.

This invention may be applied to a knitting-head of any suitable construction. For convenience of illustration a knitting-head similar in its general features to that exhibited in my United States Patent No. 537,802, dated April l6, 1895, is herein shown in the drawings. This head comprises a needle-cylinder 200, an annular sinker-bed 226, encircling the top of the needle-cylinder, a rotary cam-cylinder 240, adjusted on the needle-cylinder, and a rotary cam-ring 330 over and encircling the sinker-bed. The needlecylinder 200 has on its outer periphery the usual series of vertical grooves, in which the knitting-needles are disposed in the usual manner and in which said needles are adapted to reciprocate vertically. About half the needles, as230, more or less, have elongated studs, as 231, and are disposed in a semicircular series, and the other semicircular series is composed of needles, as 232, having short studs, as 233. A circular series of radiallysliding sinkers 235 move in radial slots in the sinker-bed 226 and play at their inner ends between the needles cooperating therewith in the knitting operation. The cam-cylinder 240 has the usual stitch-cams of any suitable construction and narrowing and Widening cams, as is usual in machines of this character.

The reference-numerals hereinbefore employed are the same as those used in the patent referred to.

Further details relativeto the general construction of the knitting-head need not be herein described.

The cam-cylinder 240 has in this instance a slot 10, approximately triangular in shape. The inner face of the cam-cylinder is provided with a recess 11, which forms a lip 12 around the edge of the slot. A circular screwthreaded hole 13 is formed in the Wall of the cam-cylinder at or adjacent to the narrow end of the slot 10.

A tubular casing 20, screw-threaded exteriorly at its inner end, is screwed into the hole 13 in the cam-cylinder and extends outward therefrom. A trunnion 30 is adapted to turn in the casing 20. This trunnion is reduced at both ends, forming a stud 31 at its inner end and a stud 32 at its. outer end. These studs may be angular or round, as desired.

A switch-finger -10, preferably tapering in shape, and bent to correspond approximately to the curve of the cam-cylinder, is fastened in any suitable manner to the inner end of the trunnion 30. As shown, this switch-finger has a hole at its broad end which fits over the stud 31 of said trunnion and a screw 45 passes into said trunnion and its head engages the switch-finger and clamps it tightly to the trunnion. This switch-finger is adapted to swing in the recess 11 on the inner face of the cam-cylinder. It is thicker than the depth of said recess and its inner edge projects inward beyond the inner face of the camcylinder a sufficient distance to engage the longstud needles, but the short-stud needles pass freely without contact therewith.

The camcylinder is provided with the usual rib or ledge 245, on which the studs of the needles travel when in operative position. A notch 41 is formed in said rib ata point where it is adapted to receive the pointed end of the switch-finger 40 when the latter is depressed in position to elevate the needles. This notch extends from the outer edge of the ledge partially through it, leaving a continuous track at its inner edge for the needle-studs.

Suitable means are provided for turning the trunnion to change the position of the switchfinger. The means herein shown comprise an arm 50, attached in any suitable manner and at a proper angle to the outer end of said trunnion, as by a clamping-screw 51. The free end 52 of the arm 50 is preferably pointed to better adapt it to be actuated in either direction automatically by any suitable device for that purpose.

A convenient automatic mechanism for actuatin g the switch-finger is illustrated in Fig. 1, and consists of a pivoted lever 60, provided witha stud 70, adapted to engage the pointed arm 50, the free end of said lever resting on a cam-disk, as 461, disposed on a shaft, as 350. The cam-disk has cams, as 463 and 464,which project beyond the periphery of the cam-disk. The cam-disk is rotated by means similar to those described in my said patent for rotating the cam-disk 461 of said patent, or in any other suitable manner, so as to bring one of said cams into position to elevate the lever into the path of the pointed arm 50 when the switch-finger is to be shifted in either direction.

When the cam-cylinder is rotated toward the right, the arm 50 engages the elevated end of the stud and is thereby swung toward the left, whereby the switch-finger 40 is depressed into position to engage the elongated studs and elevate the needles into inoperative position, and when the cylinder rotates toward the left, as shown in Fig. l, the arm 50 engages the elevated end of the stud 70 and is swung toward the right, whereby the switch-finger 4:0 is elevated into position to engage the elongated studs of the elevated needles and bring them back into operatiy e position.

In the operation of the machine the parts are so timed as to operate in the usual manner, and on the last rotation of the cam-cylinder in a continuous circle or first stroke in reciprocation the switch-finger 40 is swung into depressed position while the short-stud needles are passing it, so that it engages the first and all the succeeding needles of the long-stud needles during the last half of said rotation, said needles riding up the inclined surface of said switch-finger and being thereby elevated into inoperative position. When it is desired to bring back the long-stud needles into operative position for further knitting in continuous circular courses, the switch-finger is swung into upward position during the passage of the short-stud needles and thence engages all the long-stud needles successively and brings them down into operative position during a half-turn of the cam-cylinder.

This switch mechanism is very simple in construction, and owing to the slot it can be readily applied to the cam-cylinder and also readily removed in case of any accident or breakage. The recess in the cam-cylinder enables a switch-finger of thick metal to be used without interfering with the short-stud needles, and bending of the finger is thereby avoided.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of a needle-cylinder, needles disposed therein, a cam-cylinder, a trunnion supported in said cam-cylinder, a switch-finger on said trunnion, a dependent arm also on said trunnion and provided with a pointed lower end, a movable stud adapted to be engaged by the pointed end of said arm for swinging it in either direction, and means for moving said stud into and out of the path of said arm.

2. The combination of a needle-cylinder, needles therein, a cam-cylinder provided with a recess on its inner face, a switch-finger adapted to swing in said recess and extending beyond the inner face of the cam-cylinder, an arm attached to the pivot on which said switch-finger is secured, and a cam-actuated lever for engaging said arm to swing it and said finger into different positions.

3. The combination of a needle-cylinder, needles therein, a cam-cylinder provided with a slot, and with a recess on its inner face at the edge of said slot, a casing secured to said cam-cylinder adjacent to said slot, a trunnion adapted to turn in said casing, an arc-shaped switch-finger secured to one end of said trunnion concentrically to said cylinders and adapted to play in said recess opposite said slot, and an arm attached to the outer end of said trunnion.

JOSEPH A. BURLEIGH.

Witnesses:

GEORGE E. BOYDEN, AMY B. SUTCLIFFE.

IIO 

